1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device and method for controlling gear changes, and more particularly, to a device and method for controlling gear changes in a straddle-type vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese patent publication JP-A-Hei 10-287150 describes a straddle-type vehicle (e.g., a motorcycle) that has a clutch and a transmission driven by actuators (e.g., motors). Vehicles with such gear change control systems are increasingly popular. When a rider of such a straddle-type vehicle inputs a gear change command manually, the clutch and the transmission in conjunction with each other automatically perform a series of gear change operations. For example, a clutch actuator automatically disengages the clutch, a shift actuator automatically shifts up or down the transmission, and then the clutch actuator automatically reengages the clutch.